This is a photograph of Peter Melendy, an early settler and entrepreneur of Cedar Falls, Iowa. Melendy first settled in Butler County, Iowa, in 1857, but moved to Cedar Falls after his stock farm failed. While in Cedar Falls, Melendy was a large supporter of bringing the railroad to the town. The Dubuque and Sioux City and Railroad reached Cedar Falls on April 9, 1861. While this railroad was important to Cedar Falls, Melendy wanted Cedar Falls to take advantage of larger markets with railroad lines connecting to St. Louis and Chicago. Melendy and some other individuals financially backed a proposal to build a rail line from St. Paul, Minnesota to St. Louis, Missouri, through Cedar Falls, but the plan failed. Melendy spent so much of his personal wealth on attempts to bring the railroad to Cedar Falls that he lived modestly for the remainder of his life. Content can be used with the following standards: 4th grade SS 4.25 Technological Change, 4th grade SS 4.26 Changes to Agriculture and SS-US 9-12.23 Iowans Influence on US History in a lesson on Iowans impact on agriculture and technology change in the state. Content can additionally be used in a lesson on Iowans involvement in national government. For any use other than instructional resources, please check with the organization that owns this item regarding copyright restrictions.
2018.018.020 [Print, Photographic]
Legal Status
Ownership of this resource is held by the Cedar Falls Historical Society and has been provided here for educational purposes only, specifically for use in the Iowa Museum Association's "Teaching Iowa History" project. It may not be downloaded, reproduced or distributed in any format without written permission from the Rights Holder. For information on U.S. and International copyright laws, consult an attorney.